Gucci expands visibility of refurbished art to promote Italian heritage

Italy’s Gucci is paying tribute to its Italian roots by expanding the visibility of the “Prince of Dreams: The Medici’s Joseph Tapestries by Pontormo and Bronzino” in Rome.

Last year in June, Gucci presented the refurbishment of 10 tapestries, a project that was funded by the house’s Gucci Museo. Brands often partner with cultural institutions in their country of origin to jointly preserve and honor the past, while making it accessible to future generations.

Pride in country
The 10 tapestries refurbished by Gucci Museo were part of a collection of 20 commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici from artists Jacopo Pontormo and Agnolo Bronzino in the 16th century.

Each tapestry in the collection tells a chronological piece of the biblical patriarch Joseph’s life. The collection of tapestries is approximately 236 feet in length.

Section of the Medici tapestries

Now, the tapestries are set to travel from Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome, the home of Italy’s president where they have been partially on display, to the Universal Expo in Milan at the Royal Palace in May and then to the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, their original home, until January 2016.

While speaking to WWD, Marco Bizzarri, president and CEO of Gucci, said, "We are honored that the institutions have found in Gucci the partner that can virtually accompany the 20 tapestries on a journey that, coinciding with Expo 2015, will bring them to be one of the most noble testaments of Italian modernity."

Since its opening in September 2011, half of Gucci Museo ticket sales have been donated to fund restoring important Florentine works of art.

Recently, Gucci created a digital hub for its bricks-and-mortar museum to expand the audience of its art and fashion displays. The brand has translated the Gucci Museo experience into a dedicated Web site that features images of the exhibitions as well as information about the house’s history (see story).